


Sweater Paws and Overalls

by CheekyBrunette



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff, Height difference, M/M, Pining, Size Difference, That's it, it's just Kageyama being over the moon for Hinata, this is the most gratuitous thing I have ever written
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-09
Updated: 2016-11-09
Packaged: 2018-08-30 01:29:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8513509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheekyBrunette/pseuds/CheekyBrunette
Summary: The next day in class, Kageyama watched Hinata’s mouth as he chewed on the end of his pen. Even his mouth was cute. Even his pen was cute. It was sky blue with little clouds dotted across it, and Kageyama thought about Hinata seeing it in the store and deciding to buy it.
He thought about Hinata looking through pens and pencils and other school supplies, picking out what he would take with him to high school. He thought about Hinata fishing through his wallet and getting excited about having just enough to buy the things he wanted. He thought about Hinata walking home with his shopping bag knocking into his ankles and a skip in his step.
“-geyama. Kageyama. Kageyama!”
Kageyama jumped and looked up. His teacher was standing at the front of the class, glaring at him. “Um, yes?”
“Can you give us the answer to number 4?”





	

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Small](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4824746) by [someonestolemyshoes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/someonestolemyshoes/pseuds/someonestolemyshoes). 



> REAL QUICK: 
> 
> Some songs I recommend listening to while you read this (like the cutest songs ever) are "Ivy and Gold" by Bombay Bicycle Club and "In Your Arms" by Chef Special. That's what I listened to when I wrote this. 
> 
> (And also "Hide & Seek" by Astro but that's K-Pop, so I can't in good conscience recommend it)

**FEET**

“Street,” Hinata prompted.

Kageyama wracked his brain. He knew there was an E in it, but was it one E or two? “Um... S-T-R-E-E-T,” he spelled out. Hinata’s toes tapped his leg twice.

“Nice!” Hinata chirped. He flipped to the next flash card in the stack. “How about ‘city’?”

Kageyama frowned. That was either an S or a C, and he couldn’t remember which was right. He blanked out as he searched for an answer, while Hinata fidgeted on the couch next to him.

It was late for a school night. He should have gone home straight after school, but instead Kageyama had gone home with Hinata to practice volleyball in his backyard. Hinata’s mom had convinced him to stay for dinner. He had to leave soon. His dad was already on the way over to pick him up from Hinata’s house, but they were taking the time to practice for their English test on Tuesday. Hinata wasn’t great at pronunciation, and Kageyama wasn’t great at spelling.

“S-I-T-E-E?”

Hinata snickered. “Kageyama, that’s not even close,” he said, sitting up on the couch a little bit. He accidentally kicked at Kageyama’s leg. “Try again.”

Kageyama frowned. He wished his dad would hurry up. He didn’t mind practicing with Hinata in his backyard, but he wasn’t exactly comfortable in his house yet. He couldn’t relax back into the couch. He had pressed himself as close to the arm of the sofa as possible, his back rigid as Hinata read him flashcards.

Meanwhile, Hinata was lying comfortably across the cushions. If his legs were any longer, they’d be sprawled out in Kageyama’s lap. But as it was, only his toes brushed up against the upper part of Kageyama’s thigh.

“C-I-T-E-E,” Kageyama tried.

“Nope! You wanna give it another go?” Hinata asked, squinting at the next flashcard in advance. Kageyama could nearly see the gears turning in his head as he fought to figure out the pronunciation.

Kageyama huffed out a sigh. “Not really.”

“Are you quitting?”

“No,” Kageyama said defensively. “I just want to get through a couple more words before my dad comes.”

Hinata looks skeptical but reads off the letters anyway. “C-I-T-Y. You always mess up S with C and Y with double Es.”

Kageyama grumbled, but couldn’t exactly disagree. Hinata was right. He messed _everything_ up when it came to spelling, not that he would ever admit it. “Still smarter than you, though,” he muttered under his breath.

“Hey! I’m trying to _help_ you,” Hinata complained. He lifted his leg to kick at Kageyama’s side, but Kageyama caught his ankle before he could make contact.

And that’s when Kageyama noticed.

Hinata’s mom had made them shower before dinner, so Hinata had changed into fresh clothes and clean socks. In his hurry to eat, he had thrown on a pair with tiny pink polka dots. Kageyama wrinkled his nose. “Are these Natsu’s?” he asked.

Confusion flickered across Hinata’s face before his eyes widened in realization. He tried to pull his leg away. “No, they’re-“

“You can fit into _Natsu’s_ socks?” Kageyama questioned, incredulous. They were loose around the toe, even. Kageyama let Hinata’s ankle slip through his fingers when he tried to pull away, but he didn’t miss the way his hand engulfed his whole foot as it passed by.

“Sh-Shut up, stupid!”

“Dumbass, I didn’t even _say_ anything,” Kageyama complained. Hinata had pulled his knees to his chest, his tiny feet tucked up underneath him. Kageyama blinked. Hinata was so loud and over the top; he always seemed to take up more space than he actually did. But all it took was for something little –like Hinata’s tiny foot coming too close or watching him curl up in a ball like this- for Kageyama to realize how _small_ he was.

He was such a tiny person. He walked around on little tiny feet.

“But you were _thinking_ something,” Hinata argued, squirming.

Kageyama didn’t even know how to _respond_ to that. All he could think about was Hinata’s delicate ankles and tiny toes. He blushed furiously. “That’s... that’s a stupid thing to say,” he complained. His phone buzzed. “Also, I think my dad is here.”

“Okay,” Hinata said, standing up to walk Kageyama out. Kageyama grabbed his backpack and gym bag and followed Hinata to the front door. “See you tomorrow?” he asked, opening up the front door. Car headlights awaited him outside.

Kageyama shrugged. “Yeah... at morning practice, I would figure.” He lingered in the doorway, and his dad honked his horn to get him to hurry up. He flinched. “So, um... Tomorrow?”

Hinata nodded enthusiastically. “Yep! See you!”

Kageyama waved awkwardly, and his dad honked his horn again. He scrambled off of Hinata’s front step. Kageyama climbed into the car with Hinata’s tiny, socked feet in mind.

* * *

 

**SHOULDERS**

Hinata was talking instead of changing. “And so then, my dad had to like... get on the floor and shine the flashlight under Natsu’s bed to see if he could find the mouse, and my mom was, like..., freaking out because what if it ran out and lunged at his _face_ or something? And so-“

“Hey, Hinata. Focus on changing first, your story second. We’ve got a bus to catch,” Daichi directed. This wasn’t the first time Hinata had gotten distracted when he was supposed to be changing. The team was used to Hinata bouncing around, half-dressed, and babbling about whatever came to mind on the way out the door. However, today they were on a timetable. They had a long drive from Tokyo to Miyagi, and Daichi was keeping everyone on a strict schedule.

Fortunately, Hinata didn’t seem at all bothered, and stripped off his shirt right then and there.

Kageyama –who had been kept his head down as he switched clothes and packed up his things- of course managed to look up _right_ as Hinata was slipping out of his t-shirt. Kageyama felt his eyes glaze over as he watched the material slip over his narrow shoulders.

It was stupid. It wasn’t like Hinata’s narrow shoulders were a surprise, just like his tiny feet weren’t a surprise the other night. Kageyama knew –logically- that Hinata was slender and compact. He fit a lot into an incredibly small body. He managed to be strong, and sturdy, and _small_ at the time. It had always baffled Kageyama, and because of that, he had always been fully aware of it.

But that didn’t mean he had fully _appreciated_ it.

Kageyama knew he shouldn’t stare, even if Hinata’s back was turned to him, but his eyes flickered back and forth between his bag and Hinata’s bare skin anyway. His movements grew frantic as he tried to focus on untangling his headphones from his shoelaces, rather than staring at Hinata’s impossibly slender shoulders.

He managed to keep his eyes on his things until Hinata was fully dressed. The next time he looked up, Hinata was in a sweatshirt that Kageyama _knew_ must have been an extra small, but the neck of it still managed to slip down Hinata’s arm.

Honestly, Kageyama was pretty sure one of his legs was thicker than both of Hinata’s shoulders.

“All ready!” Hinata said proudly, sticking his hands on his hips. His chest swelled with pride, but it did nothing to broaden his stature. Kageyama gulped. He fought down the blush that started to creep up his neck. “Wanna go out to the bus, ‘Yama? We can sit together!” he looked excited, but then slumped sheepishly. “I mean... If you want to.”

“I want to,” Kageyama croaked. He cleared his throat and tried again. “I mean, yeah, I’m ready. Let’s sit together,” he agreed, shaking his headphones loose with one final tug. Meanwhile, Hinata pulled his gym bag over his head, and Kageyama wondered how the strap managed to balance on his narrow frame.

* * *

 

**MOUTH**

The next day in class, Kageyama watched Hinata’s mouth as he chewed on the end of his pen. Even his mouth was cute. Even his _pen_ was cute. It was sky blue with little clouds dotted across it, and Kageyama thought about Hinata seeing it in the store and deciding to buy it.

He thought about Hinata looking through pens and pencils and other school supplies, picking out what he would take with him to high school. He thought about Hinata fishing through his wallet and getting excited about having _just enough_ to buy the things he wanted. He thought about Hinata walking home with his shopping bag knocking into his ankles and a skip in his step.

“-geyama. Kageyama. _Kageyama!_ ”

Kageyama jumped and looked up. His teacher was standing at the front of the class, glaring at him. “Um, yes?”

“Can you give us the answer to number 4?” his teacher asked impatiently, tapping her foot.

Kageyama looked down at his desk. He didn’t even have his book _out_ , let alone opened to the right page. He squirmed as he realized just how badly he had been spacing out. A quick glance at Hinata showed he wasn’t even chewing on his pen anymore. “Um...”

“I didn’t think so,” the teacher sighed. His classmates snickered. Kageyama blushed and slipped down in his chair a little bit. Meanwhile, Hinata laughed at him from across the room, his eyes scrunched up and his body curled inwards on itself. Kageyama considered being annoyed for a moment, but something warm curled up in his chest before he could.

Even with the biggest grin, Hinata’s smile was still cute.

* * *

 

**HIPS**

Kageyama leaned back against the kitchen counter. Hinata’s mom had asked them to keep an eye on the stove while she went to pick Natsu up from swim practice. Kageyama still didn’t know where to put himself in Hinata’s house, but it was a little easier when they were all alone.

“Do you think I should keep stirring it?” Hinata asked, staring down into the pot. His mom was making pork soup. It was supposed to be impossible to mess up, but Kageyama wouldn’t put it past Hinata to spill it all over the floor or set the house on fire.

“Maybe,” Kageyama shrugged. He trusted himself with cooking less than he trusted Hinata.

“M’kay.”

Hinata stood up on his tiptoes to get a better look as he stirred the contents of the pot. As he rose up on his toes, Kageyama was suddenly struck with the urge to reach out and grab him by his slim hips.

Instead, Kageyama buried his face in his hands. Maybe it was just Hinata’s clothes that were making him look so skinny? Kageyama peeked at him through his fingers and registered that Hinata was wearing trackies and a loose, striped t-shirt.

Kageyama promptly hid his eyes in the crook of his elbow. Hinata had him on the edge of an existential crisis. Everything about him made Kageyama question his very foundation.

“It _smells_ really good. My mom said I could add salt if I thought it needed it, but I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“I wouldn’t,” Kageyama advised. He still hadn’t looked out over his elbow. He didn’t want to stare at Hinata like some creep, but it was hard to stop thinking about how slender his hips were.

Kageyama knew it was stupid, so he didn’t make a big deal about it, but he had always liked small things. Tiny kittens, stuffed animals, Rilakkuma... Anything cute, really. Kageyama liked all of it, even if it was embarrassing. And as time passed, he was starting to realize more and more that _Hinata_ was cute.

Like, really, really, _really,_ impossibly cute.

His infallible optimism and energy paired with his overall size was almost too much to handle. Hinata was so positive –almost naively so- and Kageyama had always felt the urge to protect him both on and off the court. He was so sweet, and... _little._

He was _so_ little. Every time Kageyama thought about hugging him, about holding his hand, about how they might line up, he ended up blushing.

He was blushing _feverishly_ now. His whole face felt hot.

“Maybe we should just set the table. That would be helpful, right? We can get out bowls and stuff?” Hinata continued uncertainly. Kageyama managed to hum in agreement, although the noise got stuck in his throat. Hinata busied himself with setting the table while Kageyama moved his elbow away from his face, blinking as the light from the kitchen flooded his vision. “Are you gonna help or just stand there?” Hinata asked.

“I’ll... I’ll help,” Kageyama promised, pointedly looking up at the ceiling to avoid looking at Hinata’s hips. His track pants hugged him way too nicely and Kageyama liked him way too much.

Hinata stared at him for a moment. “Um... You know? Why don’t I just do it? You’re being weird.”

Kageyama shifted his weight from foot to foot. “I’m not-“ But before he could argue, Natsu came bursting through the front door.

“Nii-chan! Nii-chan, look!”

Kageyama’s jaw snapped closed as Natsu rushed into the room. Her feet were bare. She was wrapped up in a green towel with a hood that made her look like a frog. Hinata set down the dishes he was holding. “What’s up?” he asked.

Natsu gasped excitedly. “ _Look,_ ” she breathed out before flinging her arms out. She made wide circles, and Kageyama crinkled his nose. Was she dancing?

“Is that the butterfly?!” Hinata asked, recognizing the motion as one of the swimming strokes she must have been learning. Natsu nodded excitedly, and Hinata swept her up in his arms. “Ah! That’s so great! That was the last one you had to learn, right? You know all of them now!” he cheered, spinning her in a circle. Natsu giggled, and Hinata rested her on one hip (which wasn’t lost on Kageyama).

Natsu’s little hands reached up to adjust her hood. “Mhm! Except I still have to learn the feet part.”

“You’ll get it,” Hinata assured her. He glanced over to Kageyama, his big shining eyes meeting his own. “You know, Kageyama doesn’t know much about swimming, I don’t think. Why don’t you tell him while I finish helping mom with dinner?”

“Okay!” Natsu cheered, wiggling to be set down. “She said she just needed to make a phone call before she came inside.”

Hinata made a noise of agreement, going back to setting the table. Natsu stumbled over to Kageyama’s side. “Tobio, I learned the butterfly stroke today!” she cheered, even though Kageyama had already heard. Meanwhile, Hinata had to stretch and bend over to place a bowl on the opposite side of the table.

“Cool,” Kageyama answered, but he couldn’t even look at her. His eyes were glued to Hinata’s hips.

* * *

 

**HEIGHT**

“Ah, gross!” Hinata whined, rooting through his gym bag as if a spare shirt would appear amidst the balled up pieces of his uniform. “I don’t wanna get my school clothes sweaty.”

“I’ve got a spare shirt, Hinata,” Asahi offered. “Do you want to borrow it?”

“Maybe, if it’s not too big,” Hinata answered, looking uneasy. Asahi was at least a large due to his height and sheer muscle; meanwhile, Hinata usually looked like he was swimming in even the smallest sizes.

Kageyama didn’t pay much mind to their conversation, figuring that Hinata would hold up the shirt, take one look at it, and instead wear a sweatshirt to practice. However, when Kageyama turned around to reach for his sneakers, Hinata was already wearing Asahi’s giant t-shirt.

Or more like the _t-shirt_ was wearing _him_. Hinata was _drowning_ in it. The bottom hem brushed up against his kneecaps, and Kageyama couldn’t tell if Hinata was wearing shorts or not. The shirt hung off of him like a dress.

For a moment, Kageyama was floored.

“You’re so _short_ ,” he blurted out.

Hinata looked up at him, eyes wide for a moment, before his expression morphed. He looked angry. “Excuse me?”

Kageyama froze. He knew better than anyone else how much Hinata hated whenever anyone mentioned his size. He usually did everything he could to avoid bringing it up –even if he was _constantly_ thinking about it- and he knew he needed to say something to fix the situation.

However, his eyes were glued to the bottom hem of Asahi’s t-shirt and all that managed to come out of his mouth was: “I mean... Just like, really, _really_ short.”

Hinata’s face twisted up. “Well, you’re _really, really stupid_ , Bakageyama! When are you going to stop throwing that in my face?!”

Kageyama paled. “I-“

“I can’t _change_ it,” Hinata continued. “And I don’t like it, so quit- Quit _talking_ about it,” he demanded.

“Ah, okay,” Kageyama agreed. Honestly, he was still staring at Hinata’s knees, marveling at how low the shirt managed to hang on him. Even as Hinata stomped away, Kageyama stared.

Needless to say, practice was tense.

Hinata had to roll up and tuck in Asahi’s t-shirt in all kinds of ways to be able to practice. The sleeves got in the way of his arms and the bulk of it was bunched around his waist. Kageyama knew he should apologize, but he was too focused on Hinata’s tiny body to get his act together.

Hinata really was just _so small._

* * *

 

**HANDS**

The tension passes without Kageyama apologizing, like it always does. Kageyama wanted to say sorry (he had outgrown upsetting Hinata, he didn’t want to leave their fights with hurt feelings), but he didn’t know how to bring it up without making Hinata angry all over again.

Instead of talking about it, they just play volleyball, and everything sorts itself out. It hadn’t been much of a fight, anyway.

“One more,” Hinata said, tucking his chin into his sweatshirt.

It was unusually chilly for this time of year. The leaves on the trees hadn’t quite managed to change colors yet, but Kageyama was sure it was only a few degrees away from being able to see his breath.

His fingers were all but numb as he sent up another toss for Hinata. “Okay, I think that’s all I got in me,” Kageyama admitted, hiding his hands between his legs. His fingers were bright pink and freezing.

“That’s okay. It’s getting pretty dark,” Hinata replied. He ran to get the ball before it rolled off into traffic. He picked it up with both hands and walked back over to Kageyama. “You know, I don’t get how you guys all hold it with like... one hand. How do you do it?” he asked.

“What, palm it, you mean?” Kageyama asked, fingers stretching to take the ball from Hinata one-handedly.

“Yeah, that!” Hinata said, marveling. It was a stupid thing to get excited about. Kageyama never held a volleyball with two hands if he could help it. “How do you do it? What’s the trick?”

Kageyama blinked, unable to tell if Hinata was being serious or not. He eyed Hinata’s teeny fingers. “Ah... I think the trick is having bigger hands,” he answered. Hinata’s expression went from inquisitive to embarrassed in less than a second. He retracted his hands, burying them into his sweatshirt sleeves. His fingertips just barely poked out the bottom. Kageyama winced. “You know, they really only look smaller when you do that.”

“Shut _up_!” Hinata squeaked, embarrassed. He hid his face behind his hands, and Kageyama tilted his head to the side. All of Hinata’s clothes were too big on him, and all of his sleeves were too long. He always had little sweater paws.

Unthinkingly, Kageyama reached out to take one of Hinata’s hands in his own. “Why?” he asked. “It’s cute.”

Hinata whined and pulled his hand back. “I said _shut up_ , dumbass. That means stop talking.”

Kageyama frowned. He wanted to argue, but Hinata seemed upset, and he didn’t want to make him feel any worse about his size than he already had. He wished he could somehow explain how much he liked it. Maybe then Hinata wouldn’t feel so badly about it. “I think maybe you’re worrying about it too much. There’s nothing wrong with being small.”

Hinata groaned. “You don’t get it,” he said, finally pulling his hands from his face. He crossed his arms, tucking his hands into his armpits (whether to keep them warm or hidden, Kageyama wasn’t sure).

“I guess,” he answered. He paused. “I’m sorry if you don’t like talking about it. Or thinking about it or whatever. I’ll stop bringing it up if you want.”

Hinata was quiet at that, but Kageyama took his silence as a yes.

The streetlights flickered on, and Kageyama glanced around the now empty park. He bit his lip. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Morning practice? Because I think it’s about time we both headed home.”

“I think you’re right,” Hinata answered, kicking at the grass.

Kageyama handed back his volleyball. Hinata’s fingers had a cute curl to them as he held onto it. Everything about Hinata was just so adorable; Kageyama wished Hinata could just own up to it. “Okay,” Kageyama said, fidgeting. He always hesitated before leaving Hinata. “I’ll... I’ll see you.”

And then, before he could think about it, he leaned down and wrapped Hinata up in a massive hug. Kageyama knew he dwarfed him, and he knew Hinata was annoyed with him, but he couldn’t help but give him a quick squeeze before he pulled away.

“See you,” he repeated again, turning and running before Hinata could say anything back.

* * *

 

**NOSE**

“You’re gross,” Kageyama complained as Hinata crumbled dried sardines everywhere. Every time Hinata ate _anything_ , he had to cram as much of it as possible into his mouth at once. In this case, they were sharing a bag of iwashi senbei and Hinata was eating them by the fistful.

“What?” Hinata asked with his mouth full.

“You’re _gross,”_ Kageyama repeated, stealing the bag away from him. “If you’re gonna eat, don’t get it everywhere.”

Hinata swallowed and stuck his tongue out. “I can’t help it. I’m just hungry. Like... _all of the time_.”

Kageyama eyed Hinata critically. He had no idea where Hinata put it all. He ate so much, but he had hardly grown in the past few months. He was just as scrawny as ever. “You’re not starving, though, you can eat neatly.”

“Well, you can _share_ , Kageyama. Give me another handful,” Hinata said, stretching over Kageyama to get to the bag of dried sardines. Kageyama held it out of his reach. “Come _on_.”

“Only if you promise to eat it nicely.”

“I will, I will,” Hinata promised, sitting back on his heels. His eyes sparkled when Hinata gave him the bag.

Once again, Kageyama was curled up on Hinata’s couch. The previews were playing to an old VHS tape of some Studio Ghibli film. Hinata’s family had yet to turn on their heat, so the house was cold, and they were both curled up under blankets.

(And yes, Hinata somehow looked cuter _and_ smaller when he was tucked in.)

Oddly enough, Kageyama was really comfortable. He was lying back on the arm of the couch, his legs kicked out towards Hinata. Hinata was kneeling by his hip, eating his snack, but as the movie started up, he leaned back to mirror Kageyama. Their legs lined up in the center of the couch.

“You know, I haven’t seen this movie in forever,” Hinata said, licking his fingers and passing Kageyama his half of the iwashi senbei. Kageyama took a small handful and put the bag on the floor next to him.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen it,” he said.

Hinata gasped, his tiny mouth wide open with the sound. “You’ve never seen _My Neighbor Totoro_?” he asked. He looked traumatized.

Kageyama pressed his lips together. “Um... no?” he answered awkwardly.

Hinata deflated a little, settling into the cushions. “Well... Well, you’re in for a treat, then,” he decided. He spoke up again, after a moment. “You know, it’s really cool that we get to watch it together! You’ll always remember this!” he said excitedly.

“Yeah,” Kageyama agreed, although he would probably remember this for different reasons than Hinata was thinking.

The movie passed by slowly. He could see why Hinata liked it. The girls were cute, and Totoro was nice, and it was cute how he wore a leaf as a hat and discovered umbrellas for the first time. Kageyama was happy to watch it. He was so relaxed, lying here with Hinata, that he felt like he might melt into the couch cushions.

Everything felt warm and cozy, which is why, he didn’t think anything of it at first when Hinata started sniffling. He probably just had a cold. But when the sniffling didn’t stop, Kageyama looked over to find Hinata _crying._

Kageyama sat up fast. “Hey, what-“ He reached out to put his hand on Hinata’s shoulder, but Hinata pushed him away. “What’s going on?”

“It’s nothing, it’s nothing,” Hinata promised. He used one of his sweater paws to palm away tears. His nose was red and shiny. It should have grossed Kageyama out, but mostly he was just hopelessly endeared. He had the cutest, little nose (he was the cutest, little person), and now it was all sniffly.

Kageyama was pretty sure his heart was breaking.

“You’re crying,” he deadpanned. He winced. Kageyama was no good at comforting people. Every part of him was screaming to try to help Hinata, but he didn’t know how.

Hinata waved him off. “Yeah, it’s okay, I’m fine.”

“But you’re _crying_ ,” Kageyama repeated just as a big gasping, breath wracked Hinata’s shoulders. “What’s happening? What’s wrong? Did I do something? Is it my fault?”

“ _No_ ,” Hinata said. His chin trembled, and he stared at the TV screen. “It’s just.... Well, it’s sad, isn’t it? It would be so lonely to be in a new place, all by yourself, without your dad home all the time, and worrying about your mom. Like wouldn’t it be awful if your mom was sick? It would be so _awful_ , and it’s so nice that Totoro helps and tries to make the girls’ lives better because their dad is too busy trying to make money for the family, and... and... and...” Hinata seemed stuck, and Kageyama blinked.

“Wait,” he said slowly. “You’re crying about the movie?”

Hinata’s bottom lip wobbled, and he nodded. Kageyama snorted, and Hinata’s expression crumbled further. “See, I told you it was nothing,” he said, nose scrunching as he sniffed. He curled in on himself and pressed his palms into his eye sockets.

“No, it’s not nothing, it’s just... It’s just you’re such a little kid sometimes,” he said. It wasn’t what he wanted to say, but Kageyama had no idea how to explain the warm feeling blossoming through his chest. He was so endeared.

Hinata whined in distressed. He swung an arm at Kageyama –probably to hit him- but Kageyama caught it before he could, and instead used it to tug Hinata on top of him.

For a second he froze, not sure what to do next or why he pulled Hinata so close to him. Fortunately, Hinata knew what to do. He latched onto Kageyama like a koala, and Kageyama hesitantly wrapped his arms around him.

Hinata’s nose ended up pressed against his color bone, and Kageyama smiled at the feel of it flattened against his skin. Maybe he should be more grossed out about the snot and tears, but Hinata was too cute to push away.

“You’re right,” he said after a minute or two of scrounging for words. “It would be hard to have a sick mom and a busy dad. It’s nice that you feel so much for even a silly TV show.”

“It’s not silly, it’s actually really good,” Hinata mumbled stubbornly into Kageyama’s chest.

Kageyama laughed lightly, not wanting his rattling chest to disturb Hinata. “Yeah, you’re right. It is really good,” he promised. Hinata leaned back and Kageyama stretched for a tissue from the coffee table. He wiped Hinata’s nose clean for him. “I’m gonna remember this forever, right?”

Hinata winced, but he let Kageyama wipe his face clean. “Hopefully, you won’t remember the crying part.”

Kageyama snorted. “Yeah, we’ll see.”

* * *

 

**LEGS**

Practice camp was more eventful than Kageyama thought it would be. He couldn’t tell if the other teams were just loud in general, or if it was only a few specific people that made they gym sound so noisy.

At least the other setters seemed to be quiet. Kageyama looked through the net at Fukurodani’s setter –Akaashi- and gave him a nod. Akaashi nodded back, his droopy eyes going back to the floor a moment later. Kageyama wasn’t here to make friends, but Akaashi seemed like someone he could talk to without going crazy.

The whistle blew, and Daichi tossed up the first serve.

Kageyama scrounged for focus. This new toss he was trying for Hinata was nearly impossible, but he knew Hinata was frustrated with how stagnant their progress had been. It was hard for him to admit when Hinata was right, but if they didn’t manage to figure out this quick, Kageyama knew they wouldn’t stand a chance at nationals.

Focusing, however, would be much easier if Hinata’s legs were less distracting.

Normally, Kageyama did a good job of keeping his thoughts on volleyball, but for some reason, Hinata was stealing all of his attention today. It had started in the locker room when Kageyama had noticed how loose the pants of his shorts were around his skinny legs.

Hinata’s leg was thinner than his arm. How was Kageyama supposed to focus with that information?

Kageyama sent a toss that would have been perfect, if it hadn’t been three feet away from the net. Hinata landed neatly from his jump and whirled around on Kageyama. “Focus!” he snapped.

Kageyama clenched his hands into fists. He knew Hinata was only pushing him so hard because he had faith he could do it. It was flattering to know that Hinata thought so highly of him. However, it was also increasingly annoying to have Hinata yelling at him all of the time. “I _am_ focused.”

“No, you’re not! You keep staring at me instead of looking at the ball,” Hinata complained.

Kageyama blushed violently. He was pretty sure he could feel his cheeks burning past red into purple. He heard Tsukishima snorting behind him. “It’s because of your stupid chicken legs,” Kageyama complained.

Hinata, who had been standing confidentially before, crossed one of his legs behind the other self-consciously. They rubbed together like matchsticks. “What’s _that_ supposed to mean?” Hinata asked. Kageyama winced. He was so _loud_. The whole gym was listening in to their argument.

“It _means_ , your legs are so skinny, it looks like they’re about to snap under your weight, and it’s _distracting,”_ Kageyama complained, hating the feeling of everyone’s eyes on him. Kageyama had never liked having a lot of attention. He didn’t want to cause a big scene, and Hinata was forcing him into one.

He expected Hinata to yell back at him, but instead, Hinata’s face just turned bright pink. He was completely still. The only part of him that moved were his hands shaking at his hips.

Silence fell over the gym for a minute. Everyone seemed nervous to say anything, but fortunately, the other team’s captain –Bokuto- seemed oblivious to the tension. “So, um... Are you okay to keep playing, chibi-chan?” Bokuto asked through the net, peering owlishly at Hinata.

“Sure,” Hinata spat, turning back to the net.

“M’kay, great!” Bokuto chirped, before jumping into a crazy jump serve. The ball hit the floor within the same second it hit his hand. It smacked off against the floorboards so hard it seemed to shake the entire gym.

Kageyama took a shaky breath and got down into a ready position. He had played volleyball with an angry Hinata before. He had to focus on the game now, and worry about making up later.

* * *

 

**SPINE**

Later that night, the first years and seconds years are all crammed into the bathroom. Kageyama had managed to shower before the other first years and was in the bath with Nishinoya and Tanaka (who, for the record, had no bath etiquette and kept splashing and turning the water).

Hinata, meanwhile, was sitting at one of the showerheads. He was curled in a little on himself as he rinsed shampoo out of his hair.

Kageyama usually did his best to keep his eyes to himself in the bathroom, but he couldn’t help but notice the knobs of Hinata’s spine. He looked so delicate –hollow like a bird- and Kageyama felt _awful_ for yelling at him earlier.

He knew Hinata was stronger than he looked, but it was times like these (where Kageyama could literally count the vertebrae in his spine) that Kageyama felt like he needed to sweep him up in his arms and shield him from everyone and everything.

He shouldn’t have been so mean. He had taken things too far by making fun of Hinata’s size; he should have just admitted to staring at him and moved on.

“Shoot,” Hinata squeaked, standing up on his tiptoes to try to reach for a fresh towel. The lower shelves were all empty. The only clean towels were up too high for Hinata to reach.

“I got it,” Yamaguchi offered. He was still dressed, and he was tall enough to reach a towel from the top shelf easily.

Meanwhile, Tanaka swam over to the edge of the tub. He leaned over the edge. “You know, sometimes I think I’m remembering your height wrong, but then it’s times like this that I remember you really are as short as I remember.”

“Yeah, Hinata, you’re pintsized,” Nishinoya said.

“Nishinoya, you’re actually shorter than me,” Hinata said, but it was drowned out by Kageyama talking at the same time.

“Shut up, it’s cute.”

Kageyama’s eyes widened when he realized he had spoken out loud. He slipped down lower in the water, going up to his nose as he tried to fight down his humiliation. Hopefully the hot water had turned his skin red enough to hide his blush.

Meanwhile, Hinata’s entire body had been pink ever since he had tried to reach for his towel. He seemed distressed as he dried off –decidedly skipping a bath- and Kageyama felt bad for further embarrassing him.

When Hinata left the room, Kageyama stood up from the bath abruptly. “Woah, back up,” Nishinoya complained, shielding his face when Kageyama got a little too close to him on the way out of the bath. Kageyama ignored him. Instead, he focused on drying himself off as quickly as possible and getting dressed so he could chase after Hinata.

It took him a little while to find Hinata. He wasn’t in the room. Instead, he was standing out on the front porch of the lodge, his hair damp and clinging to his face.

It was cold at night, and Kageyama shivered in his sleep t-shirt.

“Hey,” he said, announcing his presence. Hinata turned around and immediately frowned when he saw him.

“Hey,” Hinata replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Kageyama wondered why he had come out here at all when it was so chilly and he didn’t have anything with him, like a book or his phone.

“I owe you an apology,” Kageyama said.

Hinata tilted his head up at him. “You wanna _apologize?”_ he questioned, incredulous.

Kageyama wrung his hands together, not sure why Hinata was so confused. “Um, yeah? Why, is there something wrong with that?” he asked, uncertain.

“You _never_ apologize.”

“I apologize sometimes,” Kageyama said, wincing.

“No,” Hinata replied. “No, you really, _really_ don’t.”

“Well, I’m apologizing now,” Kageyama said, scratching at the back of his ankle with the toe of his sock. He should have grabbed some shoes before coming out here. “Look, I... I was just embarrassed in the gym. I _was_ staring at you, and... and I didn’t want everyone to know. So, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean what I said.”

Hinata quirked his head to the side. His eyebrows furrowed together. “Why were you embarrassed?” he asked.

Kageyama felt the back of his neck heat up. Could you die from blushing too much? Because he was pretty sure Hinata was going to push him into an early grave. “I think the reason for that is obvious, dumbass,” he muttered, staring at the ground.

Hinata was quiet for a minute. Kageyama was pretty sure that if all the blushing didn’t kill him, the silence would. However, just before Kageyama could stammer out an excuse to leave, Hinata spoke up. “I don’t... I don’t mind you staring at me. It’s okay,” he said. “Everything is okay.”

“Okay,” Kageyama said.

Hinata took a big breath. “Maybe if you’d want to we could like... do something some time,” he suggested.

Kageyama was lost. “Do something?”

Hinata nodded enthusiastically, finally regaining some of his energy. “You know, like... _do_ something. Like get dinner, or go out for a movie, or go shopping, or... or, I don’t know. I think it would be fun to do something together. Like a date.”

“A date,” Kageyama deadpanned.

Hinata’s face fell. “Or not, we don’t have to,” he said, taking a baby step away from Kageyama. Kageyama caught him before he could go too far away.

“No, that would be _great_. I’d... I’d love to do something with you,” he promised. He grimaced. “Or, not just _do_ something, but go on a date. I’d like a date,” he corrected. “But as long as I get to take _you_ out, you know? Because you asked me, but... but I want to be the one who pays and pulls out your chair and stuff.”

“Okay, deal,” Hinata said, perking up a bit. “And... And you’re sure you don’t think I have chicken legs?”

Kageyama let out a shaky breath. “Positive.”

* * *

 

**WAIST**

“Wanna go in there?” Hinata asked, pointing at an ice cream parlor across the street. Their movie had just let out, and Kageyama wasn’t ready to go home yet. From the sound of things, Hinata wasn’t ready to go home either.

“Sure, my treat,” he promised.

Their date was going really well. Kageyama had picked Hinata up from his house and had said hello to his mom and sister. Hinata was wearing a cute, long sleeved stripe shirt and the most _adorable_ pair of overalls Kageyama had ever seen.

He wondered if Hinata had gotten dressed for their date or if the overalls were just a coincidence. Either way, it was taking everything Kageyama had not to pull Hinata in and keep him close.

Hinata went to the corner before trying to cross the street, but didn’t bother to look both ways. He was too busy babbling about how much he had liked the movie to check where he was going, and he stepped into the street just as a truck turned the corner.

“Hinata,” Kageyama barked, grabbing him by the waist and pulling him back.

Hinata squeaked as his feet left the ground. He was so light; Kageyama had misjudged how much strength it would take to move him. He marveled at how easy it was to lift him. He felt like nothing in his hands.

And his _hands._

His hands practically encircled Hinata’s entire waist. He was so slender in addition to being so short; meanwhile, Kageyama’s hands were so large and his fingers were so long. Rationally, he knew he couldn’t _actually_ stretch his hands all the way around Hinata’s torso, but it felt like he could.

How did Hinata even exist? How did he manage to be _so small_ and still manage to run around, and yell, and jump, and smile? How did he stand up to the world’s pressures? How did he _survive?_

Clearly, Hinata wasn’t doing a great job of it, considering he nearly walked out in to the middle of traffic.

The truck pulled over, and the driver got out to come check on Hinata. “Are you okay?” she asked, her eyes wide with fear. It must have been scary for her to see Hinata in the road and come so close to hitting him.

“I’m fine,” Hinata said, voice high pitched. He was breathing heavy, and Kageyama leaned forward to wrap his arms around Hinata’s waist. It was like hugging air; he was so little.

“Oh, thank God. I can’t believe I almost hit a kid,” the woman said, laying a hand over her chest. She looked to Kageyama. “Is this your little brother? I’m so sorry; he came out of nowhere. I should have slowed down around that corner.”

“I’m not his _little brother_ ,” Hinata said, his cheeks coloring bright pink. “I’m _fifteen._ ”

“Oh, of course,” he woman tittered nervously. She looked between them, and Kageyama tightened his hold on Hinata’s waist. “But as long as you’re fine, love, I’m just going to get in my car and drive off then. Is that okay?”

Kageyama grimaced when he realized she was still talking to Hinata like he was a baby. He knew Hinata wouldn’t like that.

“I’m fine,” Hinata said bitingly.

The lady nodded and went back to her car. Kageyama peeled himself away from Hinata as soon as she had driven off. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked.

Hinata glared at the ground. “I just wanna go home now, I think,” he said.

Kageyama bit his lip. He didn’t want the date to end here. Then Hinata would remember it as the time he almost got hit by a car and was mistaken for a little kid, instead of the time they saw a movie and got ice cream.

Kageyama took a deep breath and grabbed Hinata’s hand. “Let’s at least get ice cream first,” he mumbled, not confident enough to speak up. “You like ice cream.”

Hinata wavered. “I mean... I _do_ like ice cream.”

“I know. So let me buy you some,” he said.

Hinata huffed out a sigh. “Okay.”

“Okay,” Kageyama breathed, determined to turn this date around. Maybe he wasn’t great at comforting Hinata with his words, but he was good with actions. And if there was one thing Kageyama knew for sure that Hinata liked, it was food. Hopefully buying him ice cream would cheer him right up.

* * *

 

**+1 EYES**

Kageyama bought Hinata the largest ice cream cone they had, but it still wasn’t enough to make him smile. Hinata’s eyes were dull as he licked his strawberry ice cream. Kageyama, meanwhile, stabbed at his red bean with his spoon.

They had walked to the park they usually practiced in. Hinata had taken a seat on one of the swings, but Kageyama stayed standing. He hated how forlorn Hinata looked. He was sure it was frustrating to be mistaken for a kid on a regular basis, but he didn’t know why he was this upset about it. He was always so sad whenever anyone mentioned his size, and Kageyama couldn’t figure out why.

Maybe it was about time he asked. Kageyama searched Hinata’s face, hoping to make eye contact, but when Hinata’s gaze stayed locked on the ground, Kageyama figured he would have to just start talking. “So... So I thought everything was going really well, and now you’re sad.”

Hinata ducked his head further. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Kageyama said. He scrunched up his nose. “Just... Why does it bother you so much when people bring up your size? Who cares?”

“I do,” Hinata answered.

“But like... it’s not a _bad_ thing,” Kageyama argued. “It’s cute.”

Hinata made an upset noise in the back of his throat. His ice cream was starting to drip. “But I don’t _wanna_ be cute. I want... I want...”

Kageyama stabbed at his ice cream again. “What?”

“I want to be _hot_ ,” Hinata blurted out. He looked horrified after he said it. Meanwhile, a frigid burst of wind blew straight down Kageyama’s jacket and he choked on a spoonful of ice cream.

“What the hell,” Kageyama swore, beating his chest to try to start breathing again. Meanwhile, Hinata looked like he was dying, slumped miserably against the chain holding the swing. Kageyama grabbed his half melted ice cream. “Hold on,” he said gruffly. He walked to the nearest trashcan to throw out their half-eaten ice cream. He came back and sat on the swing next to Hinata’s. “It was too cold for ice cream, anyway,” he grumbled.

Hinata groaned. “I’m such a _moron_ ,” he whined.

“You’re not a moron,” Kageyama replied immediately. “Or, well, you are, but only sometimes. Why do you want to be _hot?_ ”

“So you’ll like me,” Hinata admitted, bending over to bury his head between his knees. “No one wants to date a kid. I want you to _like_ me. But we can’t even go on a date without people mistaking me for your little brother.”

Kageyama bit the inside of his lip. “I mean...”

“You don’t have to try to make me feel better.”

“No, just wait,” Kageyama said. He looked down at his hands resting in his lap. His fingers tightened around his pants. It really was cold, but Kageyama wanted to have this conversation with Hinata where no one would overhear. He could take him home and they could warm up after. “I... I _like_ how cute you are, Hinata. That’s my favorite thing about you.”

Hinata sat up, but he still looked absolutely miserable. “You _really_ don’t have to try to make me feel better,” he promised. “Like... it’s okay, you don’t have to lie or anything. Maybe we can just wait until I’ve grown or something.”

“But I don’t _want_ to wait until you’ve grown,” Kageyama interrupted. “I mean... I don’t care if you get taller or anything, but... but I _like_ how you’re little. You’re small, and it’s... it’s cute, and I like... cute things.” He felt so _awkward_. “Everything about you is tiny, and I like that.”

Hinata looked at Kageyama like he was crazy. “Are you kidding?”

“I kind of wish I was,” Kageyama frowned. He kicked at the ground. “But honestly, every time I look at you, I kind of just wanna pick you up and squeeze you.”

Hinata’s expression shifted from confused to hopeful. Kageyama bit his lip and dared to meet Hinata’s eyes. The second he did, he was startled by how big and round they were. They sparkled brilliantly. “I... Or, well, really?”

Kageyama swallowed dryly. He nodded. “Really.”

Hinata gasped and jumped off his swing. He grabbed for Kageyama’s hands, bouncing up and down adorably. “Really, really?”

“Really, really,” Kageyama confirmed. He felt nervous for some reason. Those big brown eyes were so close to him, and Kageyama felt like they might be stealing the air from his lungs. He clenched and unclenched his jaw.

“Really, really, really?”

Kageyama huffed in annoyance. “ _Yes,_ really, really, real-“

He was cut off when Hinata dipped his face in closer and kissed him. Hinata backed away almost as fast as he swooped in. His lips only touched Kageyama’s for a millisecond. While Hinata was smiling brightly, Kageyama was frozen. Hinata’s tiny hands closed a little tighter around Kageyama’s. “Kageyama, was that oka-?”

“ _Yes_ ,” Kageyama answered before Hinata could finish (because it didn’t matter at all what he was asking, the answer was _yes_ ). “Yes.”

He pulled Hinata in closer, staring at his face for a moment. His features were so graceful and tiny. Kageyama tilted his head for another kiss. The last thing he saw before their lips pressed together were Hinata’s big, beautiful eyes shining down at him.

**Author's Note:**

> This was based loosely off of my good friend someonestolemyshoe's story [ Small](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4824746/chapters/11049107). You don't have to read it to understand this work (they're separate universes), but I highly recommend that you do! So cute!


End file.
